Planning Approaches in K-MINE Scheduling

Introduction to K-MINE Scheduling Approaches

Every mine planning engineer seeks a scheduling tool that precisely meets operational needs. The K-MINE Scheduling module offers three flexible planning approaches – automatic and manual methods – suitable for any planning horizon, from strategic to daily production.

Setting Up a Scheduling Project

Start by creating a project within K-MINE Scheduling. Import your block model, define mining areas, and set up extraction parameters. Identify your key tasks and desired outputs. Depending on the planning timeframe, choose between the automatic solver for long- or medium-term plans, or manual methods for short-term precision.

Automatic Planning Approach

The automatic solver is ideal for long- and medium-term mine planning. Set your target indicators, such as tonnage, grade, or production targets, and let the system calculate the optimal sequence of extraction. The solver determines when, how much, and what material to mine to meet the defined objectives.

You can group targets, set extraction priorities, or manually adjust parameters to refine results.

The system presents outcomes as sets of blocks grouped by planning periods. After each interval, review remaining ore and waste volumes and adjust your next steps accordingly. Results can be visualized through dynamic charts and diagrams, simplifying analysis of production trends and resource utilization. For further use, data can be exported as solids or polylines per planning period.

Manual Intensity-Based Planning

The second approach provides greater manual control and can be applied to any planning horizon. Here, the engineer defines when and how much material must be mined from each area to reach production targets.

This method relies on extraction units, representing mining intensity per area. Adjust productivity manually using events – boost output where ore is available or open new areas when stripping becomes a limitation.

Add transport routes to visualize haulage systems and configure all loading and receiving points. The reporting tools provide full extraction details by period, area, and equipment type, including haulage distance, material type, and route efficiency.

At the end of each cycle, you receive a comprehensive summary report covering all haulage and productivity metrics.

Detailed Short-Term Planning

The third approach focuses on short-term or operational planning. In this method, real excavators and equipment fleets are positioned within the pit design. Each unit’s productivity, movement, and operating sequence are modeled directly in K-MINE.

By defining excavator events, you can visualize fleet shifts, optimize pit operations, and refine scheduling precision.

As in other methods, integrating transport networks allows for highly detailed haulage and production analysis. Pre-configured charts and visual dashboards help compare planned versus actual indicators, while Excel export enables deeper data study.

Charts clearly show whether production and target metrics were achieved, allowing timely adjustments to improve efficiency.

Comprehensive Planning Flexibility

K-MINE Scheduling empowers engineers to build complete mine plans covering long-term strategy and short-term operations within one integrated system. The combination of automatic optimization and manual control ensures flexibility, precision, and adaptability for real-world mining conditions.

Ultimately, K-MINE gives professionals the tools to transform raw data into actionable, optimized production schedules.